Wednesday, May 13, 2009

So, I went to the Corbusier exhibition at the Barbican some while back.* I have to say I was not overly impressed; there was a lot of room given over to his sculpture which didn't really 'fill my plinth' and I left without really getting a sense of Who He Was. But this didn't matter as I got to pootle around the wonderful Barbican Centre and generally bask in sunshine, watching neurotic art students frolic among the bricks and fountains.

Anyway.

One bit of the exhibition really did grab me. In fact - it blew me away. About halfway through the top floor, they had a cabinet of various writings and books. And one, Towards A New Architecture** was open at a certain page, and the text plucked some hidden chord inside:

"...great white marble space filled with light. Beyond you can see a second similar space of the same dimensions, but in half light and raised on several steps (repetition of a minor key); on each side a still smaller space in subdued light; turning round, you have two very small spaces in shade. From full light to shade, a rhythm. Tiny doors and enormous bays. You are captured, you have lost the sense of common scale. You are enthralled by a sensorial rhythm (light and volume) and by an able use of scale and measure, into world of its own which tells you what it sets out to tell you. What emotion, what faith!"

I know it's abstract, but it really caught me. The language is simple but powerful.

* I'm not all about shooty-shooty games and kittens here. Oh dear me no.** 1927, Brewer, Warren & Putnam. Hey, I'm back at Uni with footnotes and such.

Right, seriously, just for second, what exactly is an image like this going to do to the average spotty fourteen year old's perception of what a normal body actually looks like!? What's that gonna do to your self-esteem, when this is beaming out from every magazine rack?

Unless there's some VERY SUSPECT PhotoShop action going on there (which I expect there is anyway), that bloke is not a normal shape. Right? Bodies don't really do that.

Shame on you, Men's Fitness. That has nothing to do with health or fitness. It is pure vanity.

I "go" to the gym every now and again. I guess it's a mix of wanting to be a bit healthier and, yes, some degree of concern about my physical appearance. But I think I have a more or less healthy attitude to life, food, Mars bars, and enough nouse to understand that big biceps and a stomach you can bounce rocks off, while yes all very nice 'n all, don't actually make you a better human being. Or a more fun one. And take a lot of time. Which could also be spent doing things like reading, enjoying Mars bars, watching telly, seeing friends, not taking steroids, enjoying another Mars bar, going to the cinema, having a walk, trying an Ice Cream Mars Bar, having a nice sit down, listening to music, volunteering work or other such productive activities.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I have had bugger-all to do with these adverts, either professionally or personally. So yah-boo-sucks. I just think they are pretty. But some Google Investigative Journalism find that this creative advertising agency appears to be responsible. Well done all, take ten points, clock off early etc.